Method of pollination



Nov. 24, 1953 1.. J. FARLEY METHOD OF POLLINATION Filed Nov. 21, 1947 INVENTOR. LOUlS J. FAQLEY ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1 95 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF POLLINATION Louis J. Farley, Wapat0, Wash.

Application November 21, 1947, Serial No. 787,388

This invention relates generally to the subject of horticulture and particularly to that branch of the subject dealing with pollination of such forms of vegetable life as fruit bearing trees, nut bearing trees, and the like, wherein the extent ofproductive yield is dependent upon the degree of completeness with which pollination is effected.

Ordinarily the process of pollination is carried out by the aid of certain media peculiar to nature itself, such for example, as various forms of insect and other wild life.

Where man is dependent upon such influences as those above mentioned for the carrying out of the process of pollination, it is obvious that he, in his practice of the science of horticulture, is lacking of means by which the highly essential and important factor of pollination may be either insured or controlled.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a simple, eificient and effective process of pollination which may be easily carried out by man and readily controlled by him so as to obtain, in carrying out the process, whatever degree of completeness of pollination may be desired.

To the above and other ends, this invention contemplates the act of forcibly propelling a scattering charge of pollen along a directed path toward and into the blossoming portion of a tree, shrub or the like, whereby pollinating contact of pollen with blossoms within said blossoming portion of said tree, shrub or the like is efiected.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing in elevation a tree and depicting the manner in which pollination thereof may be carried out according to the present invention by the aid of an ordinary shot un, and,

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view showing a shot gun shell adapted for use with the shot gun of Figure 1 and loaded with a mixture of pollen and lycopodium in lieu of the ordinary charge of shot.

Although various types of fire arms may be employed in accordance with the present invention to forcibly propel a scattering charge of pollen along a directed path toward and into a tree, shrub or the like, I prefer to use a conventional form of shot gun, such as that appearing in Figure 1 and there indicated generally by the numeral [0.

The gun In may be of the usual breech loading type, adapted to carry one or more loaded shells 5 Claims. (Cl. 47-58) of the character shown in Figure 2 and there indicated generally by the numeral II. The shell I I is of conventional type in that it comprises the usual cartridge-like body I2, within which is contained an ordinary charge of gun powder [4, over which is disposed the customary form of wadding I5. The wadding I5, together with the usual sealing wad I 6 carried at the discharge end of the body [2, defines the conventional shotcarrying chamber ll, within which, according to the present invention, and in lieu of the usual charge of shot (not shown), is carried a pollinating charge, indicated generaly by the numeral I3, and consisting of a suitable quantity of pollen mixed with an appropriate carrier, such as lycopodium.

In carrying out the process according to the present invention, the operator, as shown in Figure 1, positions himself at a suitable distance from a tree to be pollinated, and there, while directing the shot gun I 0 toward the tree, fires the pollinating charge H! of one or more of the shot gun shells H into the blossoming portion of the tree, with the result that a portion of the pollen content of the pollinating charge scores a direct hit with respect to some of the tree blossoms whereas a large percentage of the remaining portion of said pollen content settles on the blossoms intended for pollination as it filters through the tree foliage.

As will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 1, the spread of the pollinating charge 18 is considerable as it is ejected from the muzzle of the shot gun H1 in a conical shaped pattern and, therefore, the extent of pollinating coverage with reference to the foliage portion of a given tree is quite substantial. In this connection it may be well to mention that in practice satisfactory pollination from a foliage covering standpoint and otherwise, has been consistently attained by firing the pollinating content ill, of one to four shells, into trees to be pollinated, the number of shells required for any given tree being largely dependent upon the extent of its foliage or blossom bearing portion.

Considering particularly the use of the shot gun It] in carrying out the process of pollination according to the present invention, it is to be borne in mind that the distance at which the operator should stand away from the tree to be pollinated is dependent largely upon wind conditions at the time; for example, the quieter the day the closer the operator stands to the tree when carrying out the process, it being observed that in the presence of any breeze, however slight,

the pollinating charge is fired into the tree from the windward side thereof in order to obtain maximum pollinating coverage and to generally enhance the efiiciency of present invention.

Although the process herein set forth has been described with great particularity, it will be understood that certain variations with respect to various details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of artificially pollinating a blossoming entity of fruit and nut trees consisting of mixing the pollen with a suitable carrier dividiing up the pollen mixture into defined charges, and causing an explosion adjacent each charge so as to direct the pollen in a defined. pattern into said blossom bearing entity.

2. In a pollinating process, the steps residing in forming a mixture of pollen and a suitable carrier into a defined charge, causing an explosion ad acent said charge to forcibly direct the charge in a predetermined conical shaped pattern into a blossom-bearing entity so as to make pollinating contact with blossoms intended to be subjected to pollination.

3. The method for pollination, comprising the steps of mixing pollen with a suitable carrier, loading a quantity of the mixed pollen and carrier into a propellant containing cartridge, aiming said cartridge in'the direction of a blossoming entity to be pollenized, and firing said cartridge whereby said pollen is directed in a defined pattern toward said blossoming entity.

4. The method of pollination, comprising the steps of mixing pollen with a suitable carrier,

forming a mixture of pollen and carrier into a de- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,528,664 Ferraguti Mar. 3, 1925 1,773,260 Cutts Aug. 19, 1930 2,028,217 Huffman Jan. 21, 1936 2,324,301 Patton July 20, 1943 2330,6533 Antles Nov. 11, 1947 2,570,511 Blair Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 283,476 Germany Apr. 19, 1915 OTHER REFERENCES Smith: Pollination Control published 1933 in National Pecan Association Bulletin, vol. '31, p. 84, 

